I used to travel a lot.  Both for work and for pleasure.  Since Covid I have travelled very limitedly.   My reasoning is because I spoiled myself a bit rotten and can't recall pictures of mountains, beaches, and foods.  So, I figured I would pause and wait to be inspired.  Plus, putting together 5-7 trips per year was a hassle.  Anyhow, this has limited my hotel experience.  Last weekend my wife and I stayed at a decent Marriott outside of Milwaukee.  It reminded me of the nuances I just no longer care for in hotels.  

As a child, and into my 20s I saw hotels as clean, corporate, sterile institutions.  Now, I see the many cracks in their façade.  I get that they age and wear and tear is inevitable.  But, it's just no longer at all desirable.  Seeing a bathroom with minor cracks in fixtures and such is just not aspirational anymore to me. I notice the details now.  When I was younger, I just enjoyed the stay.

I've curated my bed (mattress, topper, sheets and comforter) to the point I severely doubt any hotel bed can compare.  The one at the Marriott was adequate to most.  But when you have that you chose, it's just not the same.  I am 6'3''.  My showerhead is handheld and powerful.  Hotel showerheads often show that little bit of lime scale or calcification. And mostly not handheld and definitely not the power.  I tried multiple towels and pillows from Amazon.  I ordered the Westin towels and I've found ones I really enjoy.  Hotel towels are almost always rubbish.  Washed and bleached to the point of having a stiffness and lack of absorbency.  

The journey is almost over for them.  I cook, I do it well, I enjoy cooking.  Unless it is something I don't want to make, I don't care about the hotel restaurant in most cases.  Hotel bars are similar to me. Pay for overpriced drinks. 

The airbnb type of market is more and more appealing.  I get the downfalls of paying exorbitant cleaning fees.  It's like you are paying  in case a rock band trashes it.  Hotels you may end up paying for more fees.  I've stayed at one airbnb like 4 times.  Spa shower.  Steams.  I asked them where they got the bed.  I ordered the same bed and topper.   It could be the only place I want to stay   It is, in some respects, my home away from home.

It's amazing how comfortable we are laying our heads on a hotel pillow that some John just nutted on.

Rave about a mattress but don't leave any links? C'mon, man. Help us out. I hear the Wynn in Las Vegas has amazing mattresses, which are available for sale.

The last hotel I was at was the Rio Las Vegas. It was only built in the 90s but it was old and boring. The whole place was dead.

Jan 3, 2024 21:49:47 GMT @ness said:

It's amazing how comfortable we are laying our heads on a hotel pillow that some John just nutted on.

There is a hilariously bad show on Netflix called Obsession where a dude checks into a hotel room after the girl he is obsessed with leaves so he can sniff the sheets and hump the pillows - completely ignoring the logic that they would have been washed in between. 

Live & Sleep Ultra Queen... www.amazon.com/dp/B016DSJ0S0?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Tuft and needle topper
www.amazon.com/dp/B07DLDP6DR?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Jan 3, 2024 21:57:25 GMT Gyro LC said:

Rave about a mattress but don't leave any links? C'mon, man. Help us out. I hear the Wynn in Las Vegas has amazing mattresses, which are available for sale.

The last hotel I was at was the Rio Las Vegas. It was only built in the 90s but it was old and boring. The whole place was dead.

I have heard the Rio is like a morgue now.

@ness, hotels are really random when you think like that. To hell, if I would buy a used shower head.  Rent one?  Sure.

Jan 3, 2024 22:17:23 GMT theend said:

Live & Sleep Ultra Queen... www.amazon.com/dp/B016DSJ0S0?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Tuft and needle topper
www.amazon.com/dp/B07DLDP6DR?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

I have a Tuft & Needle mattress that I like a lot.

I spent over a decade at Hotel California and fortunately got rescued out of there by an infant.

I'm a hotel snob, I'm gold with Accor and IHG.

I have stayed in some amazing hotels, many in Asia. Some of the best in the world.

Some of the better ones would be the Westin and Grand Hyatt.
I also did the Trump Hotel in Waikiki

How we gonna talk about hotels and not talk about hotel sex? Seriously just a universal truth hotel sex mostly hits.

Jan 4, 2024 1:14:48 GMT iNCY said:

I'm a hotel snob, I'm gold with Accor and IHG.

I have stayed in some amazing hotels, many in Asia. Some of the best in the world.

Some of the better ones would be the Westin and Grand Hyatt.
I also did the Trump Hotel in Waikiki

Hw Marriott Singapore breakfast buffet put most of the world to shame in my experience 

Jan 3, 2024 21:43:39 GMT theend said:

I used to travel a lot.  Both for work and for pleasure.  Since Covid I have travelled very limitedly.   My reasoning is because I spoiled myself a bit rotten and can't recall pictures of mountains, beaches, and foods.  So, I figured I would pause and wait to be inspired.  Plus, putting together 5-7 trips per year was a hassle.  Anyhow, this has limited my hotel experience.  Last weekend my wife and I stayed at a decent Marriott outside of Milwaukee.  It reminded me of the nuances I just no longer care for in hotels.  

As a child, and into my 20s I saw hotels as clean, corporate, sterile institutions.  Now, I see the many cracks in their façade.  I get that they age and wear and tear is inevitable.  But, it's just no longer at all desirable.  Seeing a bathroom with minor cracks in fixtures and such is just not aspirational anymore to me. I notice the details now.  When I was younger, I just enjoyed the stay.

I've curated my bed (mattress, topper, sheets and comforter) to the point I severely doubt any hotel bed can compare.  The one at the Marriott was adequate to most.  But when you have that you chose, it's just not the same.  I am 6'3''.  My showerhead is handheld and powerful.  Hotel showerheads often show that little bit of lime scale or calcification. And mostly not handheld and definitely not the power.  I tried multiple towels and pillows from Amazon.  I ordered the Westin towels and I've found ones I really enjoy.  Hotel towels are almost always rubbish.  Washed and bleached to the point of having a stiffness and lack of absorbency.  

The journey is almost over for them.  I cook, I do it well, I enjoy cooking.  Unless it is something I don't want to make, I don't care about the hotel restaurant in most cases.  Hotel bars are similar to me. Pay for overpriced drinks. 

The airbnb type of market is more and more appealing.  I get the downfalls of paying exorbitant cleaning fees.  It's like you are paying  in case a rock band trashes it.  Hotels you may end up paying for more fees.  I've stayed at one airbnb like 4 times.  Spa shower.  Steams.  I asked them where they got the bed.  I ordered the same bed and topper.   It could be the only place I want to stay   It is, in some respects, my home away from home.

Can someone find an AI app that will read this in Patrick Bateman’s voice?

Jan 4, 2024 6:18:15 GMT theend said:

Jan 4, 2024 1:14:48 GMT iNCY said:

I'm a hotel snob, I'm gold with Accor and IHG.

I have stayed in some amazing hotels, many in Asia. Some of the best in the world.

Some of the better ones would be the Westin and Grand Hyatt.
I also did the Trump Hotel in Waikiki

Hw Marriott Singapore breakfast buffet put most of the world to shame in my experience 

For me when it comes to the buffet, nothing comes close to the Shangrila in Pudong Shanghai.



Every cuisine you can imagine at a different station with a chef of that nationality cooking it

departure- home buyers- when you buy a new home, do you keep the old toilet and seat? Or buy a new one?

Jan 4, 2024 6:54:29 GMT iNCY said:

Jan 4, 2024 6:18:15 GMT theend said:

Hw Marriott Singapore breakfast buffet put most of the world to shame in my experience 

For me when it comes to the buffet, nothing comes close to the Shangrila in Pudong Shanghai.



Every cuisine you can imagine at a different station with a chef of that nationality cooking it

I love me some Chinese noodles like I that video. I’ll be having the Wynn Buffet in Vegas later this week. That is the best buffet I’ve ever had and my friend went there a few months ago and said they kicked it up another notch.

Only change the toilet seat if it’s gross or worn. Do you change the shower head?

I love travelling and hotels obviously being a part of that. I’ve never stayed in an AirBnB and seems like a good thing from most reports.

International:

Studio M Arabian Plaza Dubai

This was considerably cheap (by UAE standards) when I went to Dubai in summer in 2022. Only a 300m walk to Al Qiyadah metro station which was a godsend with how unbelievably hot it was there. Super friendly staff, great swimming pool and amazing air conditioning. It’s not like 4x the price this year for some reason.

Saigon Amigo Hotel

After the horrendous start to my Vietnam trip (locking myself out of my phone) I was obviously down on the whole trip but other than the rat (which they got rid of quickly) it did the job for what I paid for it. Shower took awhile to turn hot but that’s to be expected, wifi was good and close to tourist attractions.

Gamma Hotel, Auckland New Zealand

Other than being on a hill and legitimately looking like a renovated prison this did the job for a great trip sandylea organised. The rooms even had block numbers and were set out exactly how I imagine a spacious cell would be :lol:

(Idr will edit in later) Chelsea, Manhattan NYC

Got a pretty good price for NYC. Had no idea it was one of the gay neighbourhoods of NYC, not surprised with how lovely it looked :lol:. Having to share a toilet with the floor wasn’t as bad as I thought but considering the American diet it’s so strange how inaccessible toilets are by comparison to Australia.

====
National

Meriton suites Mascot

Pretty much my go to when catching a flight out of Sydney, right near the train line and airport. Great hot tub and pool, rooms are nice and spacious and 24/7 reception so need to worry about late check ins.

Hilton Hotel Sydney

Obviously costly so only stay there on special occasions, but it’s worth every cent.
Great amenities and views of Sydney. Beds are the most comfortable thing I’ve ever slept on, shower is incredible.

Ibis hotels

These are like the cheap hotels one step above hostels in Australia but they aren’t as bad as people make them out to be. Works out great when you just need a room for the night after a concert etc.

Stayed at a few hotels in the Gold Coast/Brisbane and Melbourne but nothing interesting to really add. I hate the security deposits they have in the GC as I wasn’t using a credit card, I know you get it back but it was an extra $200 to budget for in the trip. Guess that the price to pay for all the dickheads that go up there.


Only stay I’ve had a problem with was when sandylea and I checked into a motel mainly to use the pool and it wasn’t operational (it was advertised as being in use) so we left :lol:

I've lost track as I seemed to be in Melbourne every other month at one point, and even when travelling overseas, it was a lot of lodges, B&Bs, etc and I never cared all the much for the hotel - as long as it was reputable, clean and in a safe area. Often times the overseas travel was in warp speed, so it's easy to forget which was which. And, also when I travel, for 90% of my waking hours I'm not in the hotel. However a few have stood out. 

The Three Sisters, Edinburgh. 
I'm a big fan of medieval, old town Edinburgh and this place on Cowgate is a stone's throw from The Royal Mile and The Grass Market.  It's an old town stone pub and restaurant more or less with connected modern accommodation. There's a massive event space at the front which serves as a outdoor theatre of sorts for the soccer, etc. I've said to myself, some day I'll retire to Edinburgh - as much as I love London, Edinburgh is more my pace. I love the look of the old town, the feel, the general atmosphere of Edinburgh. 

thethreesistersbar.co.uk/

 

Clink 78, King Cross Road, London. 
It's a hostel converted from an old court house, and it was the first place I stayed overseas and ended up staying here again once my tour had finished up. Rooms range from typical hostel accommodation to private rooms. There's not a lot of luxury here, if you want to watch TV, a former court room has a big screen in there - that's it. There's a bar down stairs, which is also used during the day light/evening hours as a self-serve kitchen/dinning area/hangout. It's the united nations of travel, this place was alive 24 hours a day with young people and was perfect way to have a hostel experience without the you know.. the Hostel experience. Of my 5 hotel stays in London, it's the coolest, yet so far away. I had the foresight to stay in Mayfair and Soho on the following trips as they are much closer to the tourist sights. 

www.clinkhostels.com/clink78/





Closer to home... 



The Sofitel on Collins, Melbourne. 
I had the privilege of spending a week here while on a work trip. It is 5-Star. Just a class-act all round. It will be my go to for any kid-free trips to the city now, as it's not exactly kid friendly ( no parks, playgrounds, etc ) 

www.sofitel-melbourne.com.au/



Crown Towers, Melbourne. 
We had two honeymoons, one in New Zealand and the other a short stay in Crown Towers. Like The Sofitel it's a 5-star class-act. We stayed in, so to speak.. and took advantage of all the fine dining in the area, casino, massages, pool, etc. I do prefer the Sofitel as it's in that Paris End of Collins Street, and very much have a love for that aesthetic. But it's an experience. 

www.crownhotels.com.au/melbourne/crown-towers